Local Vietnam veteran presented with honors for service
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Thursday Vietnam veteran Charles Fletcher was presented with his assortment of medals and ribbons from his time in the Navy.
The awards that Fletcher has held on to since his time in the service ended have been stashed away and never displayed.
“I put them in a box because I was kind of ashamed at how the American people treated the vets when we came back,” said Fletcher. “I couldn’t understand because we were doing the job we were trained to do.”
Years have passed, and with the push from members of his veterans group, he can feels confident about displaying the medals.
“I hope that it brings closure to him to let him know he is indeed home and that he is indeed appreciated,” said friend and veteran Bobby Deiss.
“It’s a tangible way to give Charles recognition and let him know these medals do mean something,” added Deiss.
Although the medals will be present in his home Fletcher says it’s more about showcasing the sacrifices he made for his country and his family.
“When I’m gone it’ll still be here and they’ll say look at what my paw paw did or look at what my daddy did.”
